Give credit where credit is due! For this year’s 33rd International Schmelz Youth Tournament hosted by WAT Fünfhaus, GRG 23 in Alterlaa is once again serving as the base for a large portion of the 20 girls’ and boys’ teams visiting from abroad and other Austrian provinces. This is because the Gymnasium (secondary school) at Auf der Schmelz, which is located right next to the tournament headquarters, remains unavailable this year due to ongoing renovations. We are all the more grateful to the principal of GRG 23, Markus Michelitsch, and the head caretaker, Martin Svobada. Unlike many other schools, they did not hesitate to host the teams arriving from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Croatia, Germany, and Styria once again. WAT Fünfhaus and the Schmelz tournament organizers truly appreciate this support.
Located right next to the U6 subway line, which also provides direct access to the tournament headquarters at Schmelz, GRG 23 will be the site where Michael Kilzer welcomes the arriving girls’ and boys’ teams throughout Thursday afternoon (August 27). In the evening, Ana and Mirad Odobasic will fire up the grill to provide a delicious meal and a warm welcome for the young international handball players.
In just over a week, the time will finally come. From Friday, August 28, with preliminary matches starting at 9 a.m., through to the final games on Sunday by midday in the Wiener Stadthalle B, it will be time to clear the courts for Austria’s largest youth handball tournament.